Before the Beginning
by ELSchaaf
Summary: What were our favorite characters like as children? How did they meet? When did they become friends? Were they always friends or did some of them start out as bitter enemies? Find out in this new pre-series fiction that follows Lilly, Duncan, Logan, and Veronica as we see what brought them together before they were torn apart.
1. Chapter 1

[Lake Tahoe - Luxury Vacation Cabins, Summer 1993]

"Lilly!" Duncan whined as he chased his sister, "Give it back!"

"No way, Donut!" Lilly grinned, her blonde pigtails bouncing behind her as she raced toward the lake with her brother's latest prized possession, "It's a baby toy and YOU are NOT a baby!" she exclaimed as she lifted the offending item and drew her arm back as if to throw it in the lake.

"NOOOO!" Duncan cried, his lower lip trembling as he stopped in his tracks and reached toward the precious high-tech dump truck, tears threatening to spill from his deep blue eyes. "I'll tell mom!" he threatened, his desperation showing in his small voice.

The mention of their mother sparked a look of annoyance and determination in the lithe 6-year-old's sharp and cat-like eyes. She frowned and stalked momentarily back toward her brother. Making a quick decision, she tossed the toy away and crossed her arms over her slight chest while she glowered down at her little brother. "Don't you dare say a word to that witchy woman," the petulant child said coldly, "I love you but if you do, I'm going to have to hurt you."

Duncan's innocent blue eyes grew wide and his tiny jaw dropped open in horror. Seeing the look in his sister's eyes, one that he considered to be pure evil, he barely managed to squeak out a weak and awkward, "Help!" when he suddenly realized that they weren't alone.

Lilly must have realized it at the same time her brother did because she looked away from him with a glare, trying to find out who in their right mind might dare to interrupt them.

"Hey there," said the brown-haired, brown-eyed boy who had somehow managed to sneak up and join them without either of the siblings realizing it. Giving his best look of utter ignorance, the child who was the son of two actors inserted himself into the situation easily, "You guys playing cops and robbers? I wanna play!"

Narrowing her blue-green eyes at the younger boy, Lilly answered haughtily, "No, we're not. And even if we were, we're not allowed to play with strangers, so there." The girl stuck her tongue out at the new boy prissily, forgetting her brother for the time being, her attention focused on this new annoyance.

"Logan!" the boy heard his mother call, having seen him approach the Kane children from several hundred feet away where she was sunning along the water's edge. "Don't be a nuisance now. You know your father doesn't like it when you push your way into other people's business."

Rolling his eyes tolerantly, the boy looked back over his shoulder and called out with sugary sweetness, "Yes, Mother. I was just trying to make some new friends."

Lilly snorted and gave the boy a shove, saying, "Sure you were, Nosy."

Duncan looked on in horror as the other boy's eyes flashed with anger, his little hands curling into fists at his side as he gritted out menacingly, "I may be nosy but you're a bully."

"Oh yeah?" Lilly challenged, "Well, whatcha gonna do about it, Nosy?"

Getting a steely glint in his dark eyes, the boy obviously accepted the challenge, giving the girl a smirk as he said, "This." Promptly, and before she could figure out what he was doing and move out of his way, he reached for her and grabbed her around the knees. It took all his strength but he managed to strong-arm her over his shoulder and, swaying slightly every once in awhile, carried her the couple yards to the water and unceremoniously dumped her in.

She squealed and screamed while the boy laughed at her, pointing and mocking her with his words, "You look like a drowned rat, Mistress Bully-Pants!"

Nearly forgotten, her brother scrambled up and over to the edge of the lake just in time to see the girl stomp and rave, throwing what could only be described as an infantile temper tantrum. The guileless blue-eyed brother giggled at the sight of his sister and stuck out his hand with a look of awe and respect that came very close to hero-worship, "I'm Duncan. That's my sister, Lilly. Thanks for sticking up for me back there. You were pretty amazing."

Taking the offered hand seriously and giving his new comrade a crooked half-grin, the other boy said, "Logan. But you probably figured that out when my mom yelled it." He paused and looked toward the lake where Lilly was now standing in the water, ankle-deep, trying to wring out her dress. Then he looked back at the other boy and asked curiously, "Is she always that mean?"

Nodding, Duncan said solemnly, "Sometimes she's even worse."

Shaking his head, Logan looked back at Duncan and offered sincerely, "I'm here the rest of the summer. Our cabin is right over there. Come find me if you want to play or if you could use some protection. I'm not scared of the likes of her."

Smiling happily, Duncan nodded and asked curiously, "Do you like trucks?"

Shrugging, Logan said, "They're ok. Do you like swords?"

Looking a bit doubtful, Duncan asked in response, "You mean real ones that are sharp and scary?"

"Nah," Logan said with a slight shake of his head, "Fake ones. Foamy ones even."

"Oh, ok. Sure," Duncan agreed readily once he was sure that no one would get hurt.

"Cool," Logan grinned and looked back at Lilly who had finally gotten out of the lake and was busily and furiously stalking back toward their chalet. Frowning, Logan suddenly looked worried as he said, "I'm gonna scram before she tattles on me. Come and look for me later!"

That said, Logan ran off. he headed in the direction his mom had called him from but then disappeared from sight before Duncan could figure out what had happened.

Eventually, Logan had to head back to his home away from home. He crept up cautiously and tried to sneak inside without anyone noticing. He was hoping that his dad might be grilling out for dinner and his mom might be lounging in the front room. He'd noticed he was getting into more and more trouble lately and while the lectures were fine - he could tune those out - he didn't like when his dad yelled at him and called him names.

This time, however, he barely made it in the door before he was lifted from the ground by the back of his shirt. He yelped and flailed, trying to regain his footing. When he heard his father's cool, calm voice, though, he froze.

"Welcome home, son," came the deep voice of superstar Aaron Echolls. Taking hold of his son under the armpits, Aaron easily held the boy several feet off the ground and pinned him against the wall. Then, staring sternly into the startled eyes of his son, he asked with a playful but ominous chill in his tone, "Have you been getting into mischief again?"

"N-no, Dad," Logan stuttered in response, "I swear. I-I made a new friend a-and protected him from a bully."

"A bully, you say?" came Aaron's deep, amused but somehow threatening response. "Did this bully happen to be, oh I don't know, a cute little blonde girl? Perhaps this new friend's big sister?"

Logan hesitated, then shakily nodded his head. He wasn't sure if that was the right response or not, but either way it was honest.

"You fool!" his father growled menacingly as he shook the boy before pinning him roughly back against the wall, "Do you know who those kids are?!" he hissed.

Wincing, Logan shook his head and pursed his lips. He had the feeling that anything he said might further anger his father so he determined to not say anything at all.

"Those were the Kane children, Son," Aaron explained gruffly, giving Logan another shake and shove against the wall. "The Kanes! My God, Son, don't you know who the fucking Kanes are?!"

Again, Logan shook his head but didn't say a word. He was concentrating on holding his breath to keep a whimper from escaping. He knew how much his dad hated any show of weakness and he was afraid of what his dad might do if he showed any now.

Giving a derisive chuckle, Aaron glared at his son and said with a sneer, "They're only the richest family your mother and I have ever met. Jake Kane is a billionaire. A BILLIONAIRE, I tell you. Do you know how many zeros are on a billion dollars, Son? That's nine zeros, ten figures total. We can NOT," another slam, "afford," again a slam, "to piss off," slam, "a single," slam, "one," slam, "of the," slam, "Kanes," slam.

Logan's head was aching by this point, throbbing would be more accurate. He tried to keep the pain from etching itself on his face as finally he said, "Sorry, Dad. I didn't know. I-I'll stay away from them from now on. I swear."

His words brought another condescendingly evil laugh from the grown man who shook his head and said with deep-seated regret, "You really are an idiot, aren't you, Son? When will you ever learn? No, no, don't say a thing. Here's what you're going to do. You're going to go back to the Kanes and apologize profusely. Then, once you've done whatever it is that you have to do for them to accept your apology, you're going to ingratiate yourself to their children. Become the boy's best friend. We need this connection, Son. I'm counting on you to make this work. Don't even think of letting me down."

The child was terrified by his father's words. He'd never seen his dad like this before and it scared him. Working up the courage to speak again, he finally managed to get out, "Y-yes, Sir."

When the words of compliance were spoken, Aaron suddenly changed back to the loving but stern father that the son used to know. Setting his son back on his feet and making sure those feet were steady on the floor, Aaron gave Logan a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He ruffled Logan's hair and said with what seemed like out of place affection, "Thatta boy. Go get 'em, Son. Do your dad proud."

Logan stood with his back pressed against the wall for a long time after his father left the room. He didn't know what to do and he wasn't so sure he could stand on his own. Eventually, he pried himself away and tiptoed to the stairs, wishing and hoping to not meet up with his father again that night.

His wish was granted and when he made it up the stairs and into his room, he quickly shut and locked the door. Tenderly, he took off his shirt and looked at himself in the full length mirror on the back of the door. Raising one arm and then the other, he saw red marks in the shape of fingers. He frowned and wondered if they'd become bruises or if they'd quickly fade away. His upper back was red but there were no distinct marks so Logan figured he'd be fine there. Then his hand went up to the back of his head and he winced and cringed at the large knot he felt forming there.

Pulling his fingers away, he checked to be sure it wasn't bleeding. When he saw that it wasn't, he felt a wave of relief then tried to remember all of what his father had said. He was to become friends with the blue-eyed boy. The thought of a friend made him smile but then he remembered the girl and he scowled. Could he avoid her and still be friends with him? It was worth a try. All he knew was that after the encounter with his dad, if he never saw the girl again, it would be too soon.


	2. Chapter 2

[Lake Tahoe - continued]

The next day, a wary Logan headed out to play. He skirted the lake and skittered skillfully up, down, and in between the rocks as he made his way toward the area he'd been exploring the day before. As he approached, he kept himself hidden until he could see that the dark-haired boy was alone, his sister nowhere to be seen.

Popping out from among the rocks, Logan grinned as he came closer. The boy was playing with the dump truck he and his sister had been fighting over along with several other cars and trucks that were scattered about. Dropping to a comfortable squat just behind and to the side of Duncan, Logan looked over the other boy's shoulder and asked curiously, "Whatcha doin?"

Startled, Duncan squawked, falling back on his heels in surprise. His wide blue eyes studied the other boy seriously before he asked, "What are you doing here? Lilly will eat you for supper if she finds out you came back."

Rolling his eyes, Logan smirked and scoffed boldly, "Please. Like I've got any reason to be afraid of your sister." There was, of course, no need for the boy to know that Logan was much more fearful of his father than the blonde-haired bully he'd taken down a notch or two. "So," he tried again, "Whatcha doin?"

"Playing with my trucks," Duncan answered simply, looking back down at the vehicles spread around him.

"I can see that," Logan responded sarcastically. Then he sat down beside his new friend and reached for one of the smaller trucks that looked like it was made for towing, "But what are you doing with the trucks? I mean, are you pretending you're building a new resort or that an earthquake took down all of LA and needs to be rebuilt? What?"

Stunned now, brows furrowed as his blue eyes became serious, obviously deep in though, Duncan said honestly, "I don't know. I hadn't thought about it till now."

"Why not?" Logan asked curiously, hooking a car to the back of the tow truck and driving it in a circle before he glanced at the other boy to wait for his answer.

Shrugging, Duncan said, "I just never thought of it, I guess. I didn't know I needed to pretend anything. I like just scooping up the rocks and sand and dumping 'em back out."

Logan laughed and said with a grin, "That's boring! You gotta use your imagination to make it fun!"

Frowning now, Duncan mumbled rather shyly, "I don't have much imagination, I guess..." He moved his dump truck back and forth sullenly and refused to look up at his new friend to meet his gaze.

Realizing he must have said something wrong, Logan put a hand on Duncan's shoulder and told him reassuringly, "Don't worry. My mom says I got enough imagination for a whole passel of boys."

Looking up gratefully, the sensitive blue eyes met the dark brown depths of the other boy. Then a look of uncertainty entered the the ocean-colored orbs as Duncan asked, "What's a passel?"

Letting out a loud guffaw, Logan shook his head with an ironic amusement that made him seem older and wiser than his five years. When he answered, his intelligent eyes were twinkling, "I have no idea."

Astonished, Duncan laughed as well.

After that, the tension was broken and the boys spent the rest of the day together playing with trucks and pretending to go on adventures both with and without them.

When Logan caught a glimpse of Duncan's sister coming toward them, he quickly stood and scurried off, shouting over his shoulder, "See you tomorrow!"

Things went this way for the rest of the summer. Soon, the two boys were inseparable. Aaron was pleased and played the gracious host on more than one occasion as he sought out the Kanes to introduce himself and his wife. Meeting the software mogul and his coldly shrewd business partner/wife under such casual and intimate a guise was perfect for the A-list actor's purposes. It was certainly better than anything else he could have devised.

During a barbecue at the Echolls' vacation home toward the end of summer, Aaron stood at the grill chatting inanely with the great Jake Kane. As they watched the boys jump into the pool, race across it's length, and jump out again over and over, Aaron chuckled and clapped the other man heartily on the back.

"Well, well, what do you say, Jake?" Aaron spoke with what sounded to be tolerance and affection, "I think we're going to have to get those boys together on breaks during the school year."

"I suppose we will," Jake acknowledged uncertainly. Turning to look at Aaron, he asked politely, "Do you ever make it out of LA?"

"Hardly," Aaron laughed in what sounded like good-natured fun before adding smoothly, "The most I get out of town anymore is when I'm shooting on location. All work and no play. You know what they say."

"Sure, sure," Jake nodded distractedly, his eyes still following the energetic boys. Then thoughtfully he extended an offer he'd never proposed to anyone before, "Logan is welcome at our place anytime you need. It must get lonely for the boy when you and his mother are both out of town or busy with work."

Noting that Jake wasn't paying attention to him at all, Aaron allowed himself a frown and cleared his throat, saying as graciously as he could, "That's awfully generous of you. We might just take you up on that if you don't think Celeste would mind. You know we have a daughter as well," he added casually, "Not much older than your Lilly, I believe. She, of course, is at drama camp for the summer. She's determined to join the industry just like her dear ole dad," he chuckled with pride and cast a sidelong glance in Jake's direction as he suggested, "Perhaps the girls would get along just as well as the boys do. We'll have to get them together to see."

Sighing, Jake frowned and looked back over his shoulder where Celeste was scolding Lilly for probably the millionth time that day. He gave Aaron a sad and wistful look before he said apologetically, "Lilly is a bit of a handful. She...doesn't often get along well with others."

A brief flash of temper entered and exited Aaron's dark eyes but he covered it smoothly by saying with a sympathetic air, "My Trina is the same. They'd likely either love each other or not be able to stand each other," he chuckled again, shooting a glance at Jake to see how he was going to respond.

Nodding distractedly, Jake dismissed the words by saying, "We'll probably never know..." his voice faded as he watched Celeste scowl while Lilly stomped toward them. Apologetically, Jade explained to Aaron, "With Lilly's, uh, exuberant tendencies, Celeste doesn't much like to let her out of our sight."

Jake didn't get the chance to see the cold fury in Aaron's eyes because he had already turned away to soothe his incredibly annoyed daughter. Sometimes it was all he could do to pacify one of the females in his life before he was given a new reason to need to appease the other. Often, he wished they were both men so they would just duke it out and get it over with. These 'who can be a bigger bitch' pissing matches between his wife and daughter were getting old quickly.

That night was the first time Logan felt Aaron's wrath in the form of a beating. He used Logan's protest at having to go to bed as an excuse. Lynn's attempt to intervene just made things worse. Aaron knocked the drink out of her hand and all three watched it fly across the room and shatter against the wall. Then, when Aaron was satisfied that Lynn was done trying to help their son, he whipped the poor boy a dozen times with the buckle of his belt. Logan was confused and angered as well as afraid. How many times before had he tried to worm his way out of going to bed when asked? It had never led to a belt across his back in the past. What had brought the change now?

Sniffling and hiccuping as he tried not to cry, Logan gingerly climbed the stairs after his punishment and carefully prepared himself for bed.


	3. Chapter 3

[Late Summer 1995 - After Logan and Duncan's Second Grade Year]

When school began, Logan wasn't sure if it was good luck or bad that had his father allowing him to attend the same posh private school as Duncan Kane. Sure, he'd done what his father had wanted and made the other boy his best friend but that was the easy part. That was what Logan had wanted to do anyway. The hard part was reading his father's mind to know what was wanted after that.

As much as Logan loved finally having a friend his own age, there were certainly days that he wondered if it were truly worth it. Those were the days that his father whipped him with his belt buckle for one indecipherable reason or another. On rare occasions, when the purpose for the discipline was just as indistinguishable to his mother as it was to him, Lynn would try to protest but she rarely got very far. Soon, Logan knew without a doubt that if he weren't the one getting a beating, it would be his mother. So instead of arguing, he gradually learned not to react, not to feel the pain. He'd use his imagination to transport him to anywhere else other than where he was while his father lashed out at him. More often than not, at least at first, the 'discipline' came as a reprimand for some perceived wrong committed by Logan toward the Kane heir. But then, there were the times that Logan was allowed to stay at the Kane's home for the afternoon or even overnight. Those times made everything else all worthwhile.

By second grade, Logan had more or less figured out how to work the system. If his dad was home, he finagled ways to stay at Duncan's house more often than not. If his dad was away filming somewhere else, Logan was ok to stay at home and spend some time with his mom. Of course, those were also the times that his mom was the most put together and the least drunk anymore. Things worked out for him on a variety of different levels. His biggest problem during those years between kindergarten and second grade - other than his father, that is - was Lilly Kane.

Lilly lived to torment him. It almost seemed as if she knew what his dad was really like and she reveled in being the cause of him receiving broken noses, cigar burns, and innumerable beatings. He despised her. Hated her with a passion. But then, somewhere during the summer after his second grade year and her third grade year, something changed.

First, Lilly was hardly ever home anymore when Logan was over. As if that wasn't gift enough from the gods, when she was there, she taunted and teased but she no longer deliberately did things to hurt him. It was curious and one day, Logan decided it was time to ask Duncan about it. Watching Lilly doing a cannonball into the pool, Logan turned away from Duncan's bedroom window to ask, "What's going on with your sister, man? She hasn't been a bitch to me lately."

Duncan winced at Logan's language but glanced up from his game to shrug at his best friend. His guileless blue eyes were oblivious as he asked without a clue, "What do you mean?"

Rolling his eyes, Logan plopped down on the floor next to his friend and used his hands to talk as he explained, "I mean, she's been barely here and now that she is, she's not bugging the crap out of us. What's going on with her, dude? Did she have a-a..." Logan paused as he wracked his brain for the big word he'd heard on a recent movie he'd seen. Finally, it came to him and he finished triumphantly, "Did she have a luh-bot-uhm-ee or somethin'?"

Looking confused, Duncan wrinkled his brow and scanned his memory banks for any possible meaning of the ridiculously grown up word Logan had just used. Coming up empty, he shook his head and asked his friend warily, "What in the world is a bot-lom-money?"

Snickering at Duncan's mispronunciation, Logan spoke with an air of superiority as he explained, "It means she's got, like, two personalities or something. Or maybe, she used to be mean and now she's not. I don't know," he finally admitted, "I heard it on a movie."

Shaking his head and laughing, Duncan grinned and said, "I don't know about that. All I know is that she's been going on and on and on about some girl she met at soccer camp. Mom can't stand it but dad put his foot down for once. I would have thought mom would want Lilly to have a friend but I guess not. It's weird. But Lilly isn't being quite so mean anymore. I just wish I could meet this girl to thank her."

"Me too!" Logan agreed, getting back up to wander to the window and watch Lilly again. She caught him watching and stuck her tongue out at him, making him laugh. "Hmm, maybe she's not as changed as we hoped. But maybe she'll be more fun at least."

"Maybe," Duncan said doubtfully, going back to what he'd been playing.

Logan turned to look at Duncan again, this time asking thoughtfully, "Did she tell you who this mystery friend is? If Lilly really is better than before, I'd like to know who I should thank."

Snorting at his friend's dry humor, Duncan shook his head and said, "All she'll say is that her friend's name is Veronica Mars. I'm not even sure if she's telling the truth or if it's something she made up. I mean, Veronica Mars? That sounds like a made up name from a movie or a show or something, right? Although I heard my dad say something about her dad being the sheriff. I think that's why mom finally gave in and let Lilly go play there. I don't know for sure."

"Veronica Mars," Logan said, trying it out on his tongue. It did rather roll off in a rather odd way, he thought. "Maybe she's a super hero," he suggested.

Now it was Duncan's turn to chortle with laughter, "A friend of Lilly's?! If she's a super hero then that would make Lilly her arch nemesis, wouldn't it? That can't be right!"

"Well, she won't be able to keep this friend away forever," Logan declared. "Whoever she is," he paused a moment and thought of the reduced number of 'punishments' he'd had recently before continuing, "I'd really like to thank her."


	4. Chapter 4

[Spring 1996 - Veronica's 3rd Grade Year & Lilly's 4th Grade Year]

The mysterious Veronica Mars had no idea that her existence was being questioned. In fact, there were a good many things that were beyond the comprehension of the young girl whom Lilly Kane had nearly dismissed. Initially, Lilly had wanted to push Veronica down in the mud just to see what she'd do. Even at her newly turned ripe old age of 11, Lilly didn't trust the supreme innocence of the tiny blonde-haired, blue-eyed pixie. Lilly was sure that she wasn't for real. Either Veronica Mars must be a fairy princess or a magical sprite or she was even more refined at lying and manipulating than Lilly herself. Whichever it was, the bold, bright, and beautiful Lilly Kane was bound and determined to find out.

The moment Lilly had seen the flash of anger and determination in Veronica's eyes as she'd stood up to the infamously bratty Lilly Kane for picking on an overly sensitive peer, Lilly knew she'd met her match. Instead of being bothered by Veronica's harsh words or the tiny finger that poked her in the chest as she was lectured on treating people the way she would want to be treated, Lilly slung her arm around Veronica's shoulders and declared the girl her new best friend.

Lilly's voice when she spoke to or about Veronica Mars held admiration and respect, two emotions that the spoiled Lilly Kane was rarely able to conjure for another person. Typically, she was simply allowed to be wild and get away with anything. In fact, most of the time she had the distinct impression that she scared the bejeezus out of her parents.

Of course, that Lilly had even been allowed to play soccer had actually been a compromise between her parents to try to get her to learn how to cooperate with others and function on a 'team'. Her mother had wanted her to take ballet to learn discipline, precision, and the need to follow directions. Lilly had wrinkled her nose at that idea and had been about to protest loudly against such a dainty and underwhelming endeavor. Fortunately, just as she'd opened her mouth, her father had opened his and suggested a team sport such as volleyball or soccer.

At first, Lilly had planned to acquiesce to the volleyball option. When her mother had argued against soccer and how muddy and dirty she'd get, though, Lilly had immediately turned her cat-like gaze on Celeste. Quickly, she had spoken to her father firmly but also with excitement in her tone as she said decisively, "Soccer. I pick soccer. Anything that lets me kick things can't be all bad," she'd reasoned aloud.

Up until the day she'd met Veronica Mars, the teamwork aspect of playing soccer had not been going nearly as well as her parents had hoped. Thus, when Veronica's parents had refused to allow their only child to play at the Kane estate, Lilly had not had a single problem weaseling permission out of her father to spend time at Veronica's home instead. Celeste hated it. Lilly didn't know why but she was bound and determined to find out. In the meantime, knowing her mother hated the idea of her playing at her lower middle class friend's house was satisfaction enough.

Thinking back to the first time she had met Veronica, Lilly grinned to herself as she flopped on Veronica's bed and said, "We need to spice up your life a little, Veronica Mars. When are you gonna stop acting like such a boy and start actually liking boys already?"

Veronica rolled her eyes and bounced onto her bed as well. Looking at Lilly upside down as she lay on her back while Lilly lay on her stomach, Veronica declared, "Boys are dumb. Why would I want to like one? It's more fun to outsmart them!"

Tapping her lips theatrically, Lilly's green eyes gleamed as she responded, knowing her words would scandalize her puritanical friend, "Boys aren't as dumb as they look. They're just better at thinking with their dicks than their brains."

"Lilly!" Veronica chided, clearly flustered at her friend's brash statement, "How would you even know that?! And why? Never mind, I don't want to know."

"Of course you want to know, Veronica Mars!" Lilly had exclaimed, grabbing a pillow to playfully bash her friend with it, "You're what the experts call 'naturally curious'. You want to know everything. How you've managed to stay so pure and innocent in spite of all those questions you ask is beyond me. But seriously? You wanna know how I know?"

Veronica rolled over and looked at Lilly doubtfully, "I don't know, Lil...does it involve graphic descriptions of naked bodies?"

Lilly giggled and rolled her eyes, clearly enjoying herself as she sat up and said, "No, silly," she waited a beat to see if Veronica would pick up on what she'd thought had been implied but then she said, "Oh. My. God. Veronica Mars! You've really never seen it, have you?"

"Seen what?" Veronica asked in confusion, furrowing her brow as she thought back to try to figure out what she'd missed.

"Ok. Seriously. I shouldn't have to explain this," Lilly shook her head and 'tsk-tsk'd playfully, "Have you not been paying attention every time I drag you shopping with me?"

"Paying attention to what, Lil?!" Veronica asked in exasperation, now hugging the pillow that Lilly had hit her with in her lap.

"The looks," Lilly said in an exaggerated, drawn out manner, "I've started to blossom, Veronica Mars. Surely you've noticed that! I've even brought you with me to buy bras. Boys love boobs and I'm gonna have some great ones!"

Veronica was still staring at her friend blankly so Lilly shook her head and continued on in a tone that said her patience was being stretched thin, "Look. Pay attention next time we're out. Every male within a 3 block radius will be checking me out. I guarantee it." When Veronica just gave her a clear look of skepticism, Lilly took it as a challenge, "You don't believe me? Let's go to my house. Even my little brother acts like he's never seen boobs before!"

"Uhh, no thanks, Lil," Veronica responded, a look that was a cross between disgust and disdain etched on her face, "I'll take your word for it. Besides, wouldn't you rather boys liked you for your brains rather than your body?"

Lilly laughed and shook her head, "What fun would that be?!" Before Veronica could protest further, Lilly leaped off the bed and said, "Come on! Let's go see if your mom has any snacks for us."

Frowning, Veronica followed Lilly. She didn't want to go see her mom. She was afraid of what they might find. She was glad, however, that the topic of conversation had ended. She knew nothing about boys and wasn't sure she wanted to. For now, she was perfectly happy with her father as her hero and was content to leave all other male attention in Lilly's capable hands.


	5. Chapter 5

[Winter 1996 - Veronica's 4th grade year & Lilly's 5th grade year]

When Lilly and Veronica's friendship initially began, the pair spent nearly all their time at Veronica's modest home. Veronica's father didn't want her anywhere near the Kane estate and even Celeste couldn't argue with her daughter playing at the sheriff's house. Over time, Lilly had tried to convince Veronica that dolls and dress up were for babies but Veronica, instead, had managed to show Lilly otherwise. It became nearly a game for Veronica to prove Lilly wrong in something or other. Her friend was so impulsive and brazen but when Veronica showed Lilly some of the more subtle perks of being a play spy, Lilly got almost as excited about their time together as Veronica was.

But still, there were some days that Lilly just got restless and hanging out at Veronica's place just wasn't good enough.

Obviously feeling trapped for whatever reason, Lilly threw a stuffed animal at Veronica and asked, "Why don't we go to my house for awhile? Unless your parents won't let you."

Knowing that a bored Lilly was a Lilly looking for trouble, Veronica shrugged and went to the other room to ask her parents about Lilly's suggestion. Lilly eavesdropped and ended up frowning at what she heard.

"Keith, what could it possibly hurt - ?" Lianne began before her husband cut her off.

"No, Lianne. I don't trust that man and his wife is even worse. I don't want to expose our young, impressionable daughter to the likes of Jake or Celeste Kane," Keith answered firmly.

"That's not fair, Keith, and you know it. How dare you punish our daughter for my past indiscretions?! Doesn't she deserve the best of the best?" Lianne argued.

"She can get the best of the best from us," Keith insisted, "There's nothing she could need that we can't provide."

"Let her have this," Lianne pushed, her voice getting louder, more desperate, "Please, Keith," she added as she began to calm, "Please, just let her have this."

"Fine," Keith said, arms crossed over his chest as he looked at his wife with extreme displeasure, "At the first sign of her being drawn into some billionaire craziness or another, I'll pull the plug."

Veronica had been listening as well but she hadn't understood a word her parents were tossing back and forth at each other. Now, she bounded into her father's arms, squealing excitedly as she said, "Don't worry, Dad. It'll be ok. I'll be with Lilly!"

Keith still looked doubtful but the look of affection that came across his face proved that Veronica's summation of her dad's tough exterior was accurate: it was covering a gooey marshmallow inside. At least, when it came to Veronica it did. Veronica and Keith's relationship fascinated Lilly. They were so close. Lilly couldn't imagine being that wrapped up in a single human being. Her entire existence consisted of trying to get as much attention as possible, no matter the consequence to others. What she saw between Veronica and Keith was completely foreign to her. It almost made her sad that her relationship with her own father was nothing like that. Sure Jake Kane doted on his daughter and essentially gave her whatever she wanted, but that would never make up for the fact that he was too busy to spend much time with her.

A couple hours later, Veronica was at the Kane Estate. Lilly was giving her a tour of her closet and the rest of her bedroom when a boy's voice could be heard arguing and laughing. It sounded almost as if there was a conversation going on that was completely one-sided. Veronica poked her head out of Lilly's closet to try to listen. Then she turned back to Lilly with a puzzled expression as she asked, "Who's that?"

"UGH!" Lilly exclaimed, rolling her eyes and bounding out of her closet and onto her bed. "That, Veronica Mars, is my annoying brother. The Donut."

"Donut?" Veronica asked, trying to figure out what her friend was talking about, "His name can't seriously be Donut."

Lilly snickered and shook her head as she said, "Nope, but it might as well be. His name is Duncan. You know, like the donut."

"Ohhhhh," Veronica responded, getting the reference now. Moving to flop on the bed beside Lilly, Veronica asked, "So what's your brother like?"

"Booooring," Lilly said with a feigned yawn, "He's all nice and good and acts like a baby most of the time."

"Nice and good doesn't equal boring or babyish," Veronica stated as she obviously got more and more curious about Lilly's brother, especially as his voice got closer. Suddenly, Veronica bounced off Lilly's bed and headed toward the door, saying slyly, "I guess I could always meet him and see for myself."

"Nooooo!" exclaimed Lilly as she rushed from the bed and got between Veronica and the door, "His evil companion might be with him. I can't have you being corrupted!"

That made Veronica laugh and roll her eyes. "Come on, Lilly. Your brother is probably totally fine and I bet his friend isn't evil, either. Have you even given them a chance?"

"Why should I?!" Lilly demanded impertinently, "It's not like I'd ever date either of them!"

Lilly's statement made Veronica roll with laughter to the point that the younger, smaller blonde actually snorted and shook her head. "Sometimes you are just too funny, Lil."

When she got herself under control, Veronica raised a brow and reached around her friend to grasp the door handle. With a satisfied smirk, Veronica twisted the knob and opened the door. Lilly had been close enough that she nearly fell flat on her ass but instead she regained her balance with a very cheerleader-like bounce and turn.

"Hey there, Donut," Lilly mocked haughtily when she saw her brother's surprised expression. Her younger brother came up short upon seeing the tiny blonde spitfire next to his foreboding older sister.

He hesitated a moment, pulling the phone from his ear as he crashed the helicopter he'd been flying down the hall. "Uhhh...hi..." he responded hesitantly, his big blue eyes not leaving the mischievous orbs of the girl in front of him. It took a few moments but he finally heard the insistent voice calling from the phone and put it back to his ear, saying, "Uhhh...hey man, I'll call you later." He listened a moment and then turned his back before whispering loudly, "No, dude, I think I just met Veronica Mars!" That made Lilly snicker and Veronica blush. She moved from foot to foot and nearly choked when she heard him say, "No way! Not now! Later. LA-TER. Ok. Alright. I said alright already! Yeah. I promise. Bye!"

"What was THAT all about?" Veronica asked immediately as soon as the phone was hung up, curious as ever.

Her best friend rolled her eyes and said, "Puh-lease. That was Duncan's friend, Logan. The evil one, remember? They've had a bet going for awhile now that you're not real. So now I guess I win the bet!" she finished in a sing-songy voice as she bounced up and down and clapped her hands.

Now it was Veronica's turn to roll her eyes and chuckle. "Of course I exist," she said matter-of-factly. "Why would you think I don't?"

Duncan ducked his head bashfully and shrugged his shoulders before saying, "Logan said he thought that maybe you were a super hero. I guess your name kinda makes you stand out."

"What's wrong with my name?" Veronica demanded, small hands on even smaller hips with a look that was purely indignant, "I like my name. I'd never wanna be anything but a Mars. Even if I get married, which I doubt I ever will."

"Why wouldn't you get married?" Duncan asked, his turn to be curious. This girl was somehow both so much like his sister and yet so different at the same time that it was almost scary.

"What do I need a man for?" Veronica asked, her head tilted in a way that would eventually become a classic Veronica maneuver, "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much."

Duncan held up his hands in surrender, one still filled with the helicopter remote and the other still filled with his cell phone, "Well fine then. But don't go saying chivalry is dead when you don't get asked to the spring dance."

Lilly was watching the two of them and didn't know what to make of it. They almost seemed to go back and forth like siblings more than she herself ever did with Duncan. Lilly Kane was a force to be reckoned with. She scared her brother to death. Little Veronica Mars, apparently, was much more his speed. She thought about that idly as she debated whether to interrupt. When Veronica looked at her in confusion, she figured this was her chance to interject, "Spring dance is at their private school. I didn't want to go so I got myself kicked out," Lilly responded without needing even a single minor prompt.

"Ahhhhhhh," Veronica said, nodding wisely, as if she now knew exactly what was being discussed. Then she looked at Duncan and said pointedly, "Well, my school doesn't have a dance so I guess I don't have to worry, unless you ask me to yours."

Blustering and blinking blindly, Duncan's face flushed and he mumbled under his breath, "I gotta go...see ya around."

Giggling with delight as she threw her arms around Veronica's neck and shoulders, Lilly exclaimed, "That's the fastest I've ever seen anyone get rid of the Donut! Do it again! Do it again, Veronica Mars!"


	6. Chapter 6

[Winter 1996 - Duncan & Logan's 4th grade year]

Duncan had immediately returned to his room after his encounter in the hall with his sister and his sister's best friend. As soon as his door was closed, he hit re-dial on his phone and waited for Logan to pick up. His voice held excitement and he was completely clueless to the near silence from his friend on the other end of the line.

"Dude! Logan! She's real! She's this itty bitty thing and she looks like a pixie or a fairy or something else out of make believe! She was smart and funny and she looked like she might not even mind playing with boys!" Duncan finished, unable to contain himself.

"Don't pee yourself, Duncan," Logan said sardonically, his tone giving away that something had happened between the time his friend had hung up with him and the time he called back. His voice was only ever this hard and annoyed when he'd recently been in trouble with his dad.

Duncan didn't seem to notice and sounded hurt, regardless, when he responded, "I'm not a baby, Logan. She's just...she seems really cool for a GIRL."

"Girls are useless," Logan said dismissively, "They're too needy and emotional." Even as he repeated the words he'd heard his dad say numerous times, he wished he could be proven wrong. His own mom was the epitome of needy and emotional. In fact, in his 'finer' moments, his dad liked to rag on Logan for being too much like his mom in those ways. He cringed and frowned just thinking of it. An anger that had been slowly building over the last couple years simmered in his dark eyes even as he said coldly, "If you listen to my dad, girls are only good for one thing and one thing only."

Clueless, Duncan asked, "What's that?"

"Sex," Logan spit out, annoyed that he even knew what the word meant and jealous as hell that his best friend obviously had no idea.

"Sex?" Duncan repeated in confusion. He wracked his brain for things he'd read or heard but didn't come up with anything until he remembered something he'd heard Lilly describe once, "Wait...isn't that? Ewww...you mean when a man and a woman get naked and lay on top of each other and stuff?!"

Snorting derisively, Logan said bitterly, "Yeah, sure, whatever."

Shivering and feeling like he might just vomit, Duncan said, "It's gotta be a grown up thing, right? I mean...no offense, man, but other than in the shower, I don't even like being naked with myself, let alone some girl who could make fun of my junk!"

Logan cackled and guffawed, finally forgetting what he'd been upset about when Duncan had first called back. He shook his head and said knowingly, "Dude, yer balls gotta drop first before you enjoy any of that stuff, or so I'm told. We're too young to give a damn." Under his breath, he mumbled, 'thank god,' while listening to Duncan's sigh of relief.

Duncan had no idea if what Logan had said was true but he was willing to believe it for now. Uncertainly, he said, "Oh, ok. Well...maybe we can hang out while Veronica's around sometime. See if she's as cool as she seemed," he suggested.

Doubtful, Logan shrugged even though he knew Duncan couldn't see it, "I don't know, man. If she's around, that means your sister's around. Lilly's still a bitch no matter how cool Veronica Mars might be."

"Maybe..." Duncan frowned, "But she's not soooo bad when Veronica's around," he added optimistically. For some reason, he was really intrigued by the small blonde best friend that had taken over his sister's life.

"Right," Logan scoffed, "You go ahead, man. Just let me know when you plan to play stalker so I can stay away."

Snickering, Duncan shook his head and said, "Whatever, dude. You don't wanna meet Veronica Mars, that's fine by me. I think I might have a crush on her or something."

"Seriously?!" Logan exclaimed, sounding dumbfounded. He'd had girls looking at him with googly eyes for as long as he could remember. He couldn't even imagine actually wanting one of them to pay attention to him. Mostly they just made him want to puke. Or run and hide. Sometimes both. He couldn't always decide which would be most appropriate.

"Seriously," Duncan said with absolute certainty.

"Whatever, man," Logan said, sounding disgusted. Of course, the disgust was covering a good amount of jealousy and the first sting of a girl coming between himself and his one and only friend.

Duncan, however, was completely oblivious to Logan's inner turmoil and said, "At least that means I won't have to fight you for her if I decide to ask her out."

That made Logan snort and roll his eyes again as he said, "Duncan, dude, you can't drive. Where would you take her and how would you get her there?"

"Anywhere my mom or the driver decide is appropriate!" Duncan spat back, making sure to correctly pronounce the word 'appropriate.'

"Yeah, cause THAT'S romantic," Logan teased.

Now it was Duncan's turn to be hurt, which made him demand condescendingly, "What would YOU know about romance?! Forget it, Logan. Call me when you're done pouting." With that, he hung up the phone and frowned, staring at the device in his hand as he wondered how things had gone downhill with his best friend so fast.

On his own end of the line, Logan threw the phone across the room and quickly decided that he hated Veronica Mars as much, if not more, than he hated Lilly Kane.


End file.
